Method and apparatus for golf instruction

ABSTRACT

A golf instructional device is provided for designating proper setup positioning for swinging a golf club and for monitoring the location of a user&#39;s eyes while swinging the club, such a mat being customized for an individual golfer. The device comprises a mat for providing a playing surface upon which foot positioning markers, a club positioning marker and a mirror are placed. The markers and mirror are designed to be removably attached to the mat surface to allow a golf instructor to indicate proper location and angle for the user to position themselves and the club which they are swinging. The mirror is of a chosen size such that when attached to the mat at the proper location, the user can observe their eyes while swinging the golf club. A wedge is also provided to be positioned underneath a portion of the user&#39;s rearward foot to train the user to maintain a near stationary rear leg during the backswing. The user stands on top of the mat surface and aligns their feet with the foot positioning markers, aligns a golf club with the club positioning marker, and positions their body such that essentially only their eyes are viewable in the mirror. When the user makes practice swings the golf club, excessive lateral and vertical motion can be observed in the mirror.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0001] 1. Field of the Invention

[0002] This invention relates generally to methods of teaching anddevices for improving a golfer's skill and ability, and morespecifically, for designating proper setup position for swinging a golfclub and for monitoring the position of a user's head during swinging ofthe club.

[0003] 2. Description of the Related Art

[0004] Golf is a sport that has become exceedingly popular all over theworld. It is estimated that about two million people in the UnitedStates alone take up the game of golf every year. However, about as manypeople leave the game each year, largely because they are disappointedand frustrated over their inability to improve their golf technique. Itis generally believed by leading golf instructors that it is difficultto improve at golf because (a) the essential fundamentals of a good golfswing feel unnatural to our bodies, (b) all natural instincts ofstudents are absolutely wrong, (c) correct habits must be practiced overand over again to develop new and correct habits (“muscle-memory”) and(d) while practicing to develop new muscle-memory, students must not bepracticing bad habits that result in bad muscle-memory that willeventually have to be unlearned. As generally believed by leadinginstructors, bad muscle-memory is harder to unlearn than it is to learngood muscle-memory from the start.

[0005] To improve their abilities, many golfers take lessons fromprofessional golf instructors. Although such lessons can teach anindividual the fundamental skills needed to play the game, these golfersare most often not able to improve their golf club swing as much asdesired because of a lack of guidance when practicing outside of theinstructional setting. Most often students practicing without aninstructor revert to, and practice, what feels natural but is in realitybad technique, thereby developing bad muscle-memory. As an alternativeto lessons, self-instruction devices have been developed to allowgolfers to improve their game by themselves. This approach has adownside in that such devices must be used in the proper fashion tocreate positive results, which is often difficult for a beginning orhigh handicap golfer who may have already developed bad habits. Further,even if used properly, these devices are often not proven to aid inproper development of a golfer's club swing technique because, asbelieved by leading instructors, golf is not a sport that can beself-taught; only with good coaching can the naturally wrong instinctsbe replaced with the correct fundamentals that initially feelinstinctively wrong.

[0006] Finally, a deficiency with both professional lessons andself-instruction devices is a lack of a reliable means for monitoringcorrect “setup position” and monitoring correct balance during theentire swing. Without a way to monitor correct “setup” and “balance”,most students fail to practice them correctly to develop the correct andnecessary muscle-memory. Instead they develop bad muscle-memory.

[0007] U.S. Pat. No. 5,603,617 of Bergman describes a practice mat forgolfers that indicates the suggested placement of the feet of a golferand a golf ball to be hit, the proper alignment of a golf club inrelation to the feet of the golfer and the golf ball, and the suggesteddirection of travel of the head of the golf club. The mat has aplurality of outlines in the shape of a foot to indicate the suggestedfoot placement based on the chosen golf club. Also, numerous rectanglesare indicated on the mat for placement of the golf ball based on thechosen golf club. However, the practice mat of Bergman does not providea means for the user to monitor and isolate any position of their bodyduring swinging of a golf club, nor does it aid in prohibiting a golferfrom introducing excessive motion sideways, up or down into theirtechnique.

[0008] U.S. Pat. No. 5,603,617 of Light shows a sports training devicehaving a full length mirror to reflect the image of a user and acombined television monitor and video cassette player to depict theoptimal positioning and technique of a participant in the selectedsports activity. Thus, a golfer could view their image in the mirrorwhile watching a monitor below the mirror show the proper way to swing agolf club. This device does not teach proper foot positioning or properclub alignment for swinging a club, nor does it provide a means for agolf instructor to designate as such. It is also doubtful that a user ofthe device could view a monitor showing an ideal golf swing whileobserving their own swing in a full length mirror. Further, the largemirror size and lack of proper indicia would not allow the device toproperly isolate a golfer's excessive motion sideways, up or down toenable correction of a flawed golf club swing. This device also lacksconvenient portability.

[0009] U.S. Pat. No. 4,181,307 of Krene describes a golf training devicecomprising a platform on which a golfer stands, a platform upon which agolf ball placement indicating means is located, and a mirror locatedbetween the two platforms to enable the user to see their golf clubswing as they hit the golf ball located on the adjacent platform. Thedevice comprises three units that are hinged together along longitudinaledges and the mirror is swivably mounted in a frame such that the angleof tilt of the mirror can be adjusted. However, Krene does not teach adevice that can be used in conjunction with golf instruction havingindicating means capable of being adjusted to tailor such a device tothe needs of a specific golfer. Not only are the foot placement and ballplacement means not adjustable in position or angle depending on theneeds of a particular user, only the angle, and not the position of themirror can be adjusted. Thus, depending on the user's physical size,skills, or other factors, the mirror would have no way of being properlypositioned such that the user could observe the proper features of theirswing to identify excessive lateral and/or vertical motion. Such amirror in the Krene invention is also excessively large and haslongitudinal lines that would be ineffective at isolating a smallportion of a user's swing, again preventing the user from pinpointingexcessive lateral and/or vertical motion in their swing. Further, a userof the Krene device could not accurately view a small portion of theirimage while focusing on a golf ball to be hit off of a platform adjacentto the mirror.

[0010] As an improvement over these methods and devices of instruction,it would be desirable to have a device and instruction kit that wouldideally be used along with proper professional golf lessons. The devicewould have indicating means that can be adjusted by a instructor toensure each individual user observed proper positioning form whenpreparing to swing a golf club. Such a device should also allow the userto monitor and isolate a specific component of their swing, namelyexcessive motion sideways, up or down, (i.e. lateral and verticalmotion) whether in the company of an instructor or not, to ensure thatproper technique is being used. A further benefit of such a device wouldbe portability such that the device can be used in either the locationwhere instruction is taking place or wherever the user desires topractice their golf swing. Further, an instruction manual can beprovided with the device to enable a golfer to successfully practicetheir golf club swing frequently at any location to correctlymuscle-memorize what a golf instructor taught during each of a series oflessons. Although the concept of a prescribed program of at-homepractice in slow motion without a ball is almost totally unused today,new research shows that it was frequently prescribed by the mostrespected instructors of previous generations. Thus, a combinationdevice and instruction manual would be an addition to the at-homepractice prescribed in earlier generations. Making it easy for studentsto practice and develop muscle-memory “at-home” or away from the formalinstructional setting is of great importance because so few studentsfind it possible to take lessons or go to a practice range away fromhome as often as is necessary to develop accurate and long lastingmuscle-memory.

[0011] Thus, what is needed is a device that can be used in conjunctionwith an overall golf instructional program to aid a golfer in developinga proper golf swing. The device would ideally designate proper setuppositioning and alignment for a user's feet, hands, head, center of thebody and golf club handle position (distance from the body) and theangle of the shaft. A golf ball can be included with the device, and isplaced off of the mat in a position that helps the student practice theshaft angle recommended by the instructor. A mirror would also beincluded with the device to allow the golfers to isolate and monitor theposition of their heads, specifically their eyes, while swinging apractice golf club to ensure that head movement does not exceed theinstructor's recommendations. Also vitally important to the design ofthe device is the ability of a golf instructor to adjust the positionindicators, the mirror and the golf ball based upon the individual needsof the user, as the muscle flexibility of the golfer increases withpractice. Further, an instructional manual can be used in conjunctionwith the device such that the user is able to properly replicate theskills learned during each lesson taught by the golf instructor andshown in the manual.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0012] The present invention provides a golf instructional device thatdesignates proper setup positioning for swinging a golf club and allowsfor monitoring of the location of a user's head while swinging the clubwhen practicing without a ball. The device, or mat, has a surface uponwhich a user stands and upon which specific foot and club positioningmarkers, as well as a mirror, are located. The markers and mirror aredesigned to be removably attached to the mat surface to allow a golfinstructor to indicate proper location and angle for the user toposition themselves and the club which they are swinging. The mirror isof a chosen size such that when attached to the mat at the properlocation, the user can only see their eyes during a substantial part oftheir golf swing if such a swing demonstrates the proper form toeliminate excessive lateral and/or vertical motion. Additionally, acentering marker and a wedge to be placed under a portion of the user'sback foot may be removably attached to the mat surface to furtherpinpoint the proper setup position of the user and to aid in reducingexcessive lateral and/or vertical motion in the user's swing. A loop andtoggle device, or other similar closure device, can be provided to allowthe mat to be folded and conveniently carried for transporting the matbetween the location of golf instruction and another location where theuser desires to practice their golf swing. An instructional manual canalso be provided to allow the students to, in conjunction with thepositioning markers and mirror as arranged by a golf instructor on themat, replicate the skills learned in a golf lesson at any location theuser desires. Further, the manual could be used as a tool to reinforce aproper golf club swing after the user has learned how to“muscle-memorize” or develop good habits with the device.

[0013] The golf instruction device and instruction manual of the presentinvention work together to increase the permanency and speed of teachingand learning a fundamentally correct golf swing. The mat both permits aninstructor to designate customized and correct pre-swing setuppositioning for the student, and permits the student to monitor thecorrectness of certain critical segments of the swing when practicingalone at home. The instruction manual describes and illustrates thepre-swing setup and the swing steps the instructor teaches in a seriesof lessons which the student practices “at-home”. The “at-home” practiceis ideally in slow-motion without a ball. The practice is effective witha regular length club or with an indoor short club used where swingspace is limited. The lessons in the manual are organized to conformwith what the instructor teaches in each of the series ofinstructor-conducted lessons. The lessons are also organized so thestudent develops good muscle-memory in stages without simultaneouslydeveloping bad muscle-memory.

[0014] It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide:

[0015] a golf instructional device that is easily adjustable to allowthe designation of proper setup positioning depending on the needs of aparticular user. It is a further object of the present invention toprovide such a device that allows the user to specifically and reliablymonitor excessive lateral and/or vertical motion in their golf clubswing. It is yet another object of the present invention to provide sucha device that allows the user to implement training tools learned from agolf instructor outside of a structured practice session and in anylocation the user desires, such a device being lightweight, durable,simple to use and conveniently portable.

[0016] Other advantages and components of the present invention willbecome apparent from the following description taken in conjunction withthe accompanying drawings, which constitute a part of this specificationand wherein are set forth exemplary embodiments of the present inventionto illustrate various objects and features thereof.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0017]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a golf instructional deviceaccording to the present invention.

[0018]FIG. 2 is a front elevational view of the golf instructionaldevice according to the present invention.

[0019]FIG. 3 is a bottom plan view of the mirror component of thepresent invention showing the representative attachment means used forsecuring the mirror, the foot positioning marker, the club positioningmarker, the golf ball, the wedge and the centering marker to the supportmat.

[0020]FIG. 4 is a front elevational view of the golf instructionaldevice according to the present invention showing the mat in the foldedposition and secured by a closure mechanism.

[0021]FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the golf instructional deviceaccording to the present invention showing one of the positions aright-handed golfer may assume in golf club swing training.

[0022]FIG. 6 is a top plan view of the golf instructional deviceaccording to the present invention showing a golfer observing his eyesin the mirror.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0023] Referring now to the drawings, FIG. 1 shows a golf instructionaldevice 10 in accordance with the present invention. The instructionaldevice 10 consists generally of a support mat 11, one or more footpositioning markers 12, a club positioning marker 13, and a mirror 14cooperating to permit and instructor to designate the proper setuppositioning for a student to practice swinging a golf club and to allowthe user to monitor the location of their eyes until a simulatedpost-impact position is reached. In the preferred embodiment, thepresent invention also includes a centering marker 15 to designate areference point for positioning the user's body on the support mat 11and a wedge 16 adapted to be placed under a portion of the user's footmost rearward in the direction of the golf ball flight.

[0024] The support mat 11 has a top surface 17, a bottom surface 31, afirst end 18 and a second end 19, and provides a stable, yet flexiblesurface upon which an individual can stand to swing a golf club and uponwhich the other components of the present invention are securely placed.The mat 11 is of a sufficient size as to accommodate golfers of varioussizes and to allow adequate room for adjustments of the positioning andmonitoring components for such golfers. Typically, a mat 11 of aboutthree feet in the length and two feet in width would be sufficient.Also, because there is no need for the mat 11 to be rigid, as the mat 11is typically placed on a level, solid surface such as pavement or theground, the mat 11 does not have to be very thick. The mat 11 shouldhave a thickness of at least ¼ of an inch, preferably more. However, forthe embodiment of the current invention where the mat 11 can be folded,the mat should not be so thick as to prevent it from being folded withminimal physical effort. The bottom surface 31 is preferably made fromabrasion resistant materials that also have high frictional propertiessuch that the mat 11 does not easily slide across a surface. The topsurface 17 must be made of materials that are sufficiently durable as towithstand extended use with any type shoe, including golf shoes withspikes. Preferably the top surface 17 of the mat 11 is made of a fabricmaterial that will allow for attachment of the hook component of a hookand loop fastener system, such as that sold under the trade nameVELCRO®. In this configuration, the top surface 17 serves as the loopcomponent of the hook and loop system. This design would allow for easyremoval and readjustment of any of the components upon which the hookmechanism is secured. However, any system known in the art for removablyattaching components to a support mat can also be utilized.

[0025] In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the firstend 18 of the support mat 11 has a first hole 20 for receiving a closuremechanism 21 attached to the second end 19 of the mat 11 through secondhole 22. The closure mechanism 21 consists generally of a cord 23 loopedthrough the second hole 22 and secured to a cylindrically-shaped woodtoggle 24. In addition to wood, the toggle 24 may be fabricated fromplastic or any other material known in the art to be sufficientlylightweight and durable for acting as a handle in carrying theinstructional device 10. When the user desires to transport theinstructional device 10 to another location, the support mat 11 can befolded in half such that the first and second holes 20 and 22 aresubstantially aligned. The user then inserts the toggle 24 through thefirst hole 20 to secure the mat 11 in the folded position and can usethe toggle 24 as a handle for carrying the instructional device 10, asshown in FIG. 4. Although a toggle mechanism is shown, any closuremechanism for coupling the first end 18 and second end 19 of the mat 11together to fold the mat may be used, such as a snap-type closure orfabric loop, or any method known in the art for securing two flexibleends of an object together. The flexible nature of the support mat 11also allows for easy folding and portability of the present invention.

[0026] The foot positioning markers 12, the club positioning markers 13,and the centering marker 15 are formed from the hook component of a hookand loop fastener system, and can be removably attached to the topsurface 17 of the support mat 11. The markers 12, 13 and 15 are alsogenerally rectangular in shape, but can be of any shape or configurationknown in the art to designate the proper positioning for a golfer toswing a golf club. However, any material known in the art for removablyattaching components to a support mat can also be utilized for themarkers. The markers can also be formed from other materials such ascloth, metal, wood or synthetics, with the hook component of a hook andloop system attached to the underside of the marker.

[0027] The centering marker 15 is generally rectangular in shape with apointed end to designate a position on the top surface about which theuser will center their body when preparing to swing a golf club. This isnecessary because when the mat 11 is folded in half for transporting,the mirror 14 must be repositioned off the folded seam. V-shaped notches25 can be cut into the forward 26 and rearward 27 edges of the supportmat 11 to serve the purpose of permanently designating a centeringposition for the user. However, other markers, such as studs, can beused as an alternative to the v-shaped notches 25 so long as they wouldsecurely and permanently designate the centering position for the user.

[0028] A foot positioning marker 12 is supplied for each of the user'sleft and right feet. The marker 12 is generally rectangular in shape andof a sufficient size to allow a golf instructor to designate the properposition and angle of the markers 12 for each foot based on theindividual needs of the user. The angles of the feet, which arepositioned according to the foot markers, can affect how far the hipscan rotate, which can affect the length of the golf club's swing path.The user will align the inside of each shoe sole immediately adjacent tothe respective marker 12. The marker 12 can also include right anglemarks to show the proper toe placement positions of the user's footalong with the angle of alignment of the foot. The position and angle ofthe foot positioning markers 12 will often be changed by a golfinstructor as the user's flexibility increases with practice. It ispossible to have a single positioning marker for either the user's leftor right foot, but ideally, the positions of both feet should bedesignated on the mat by an instructor to assure the best setuppositioning for swinging a golf club.

[0029] In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, a wedge 16is placed behind the most rearward foot positioning marker 12 of theuser (i.e. behind the right foot marker of a right-handed golfer orbehind the left foot marker of a left-handed golfer). The wedge 16 isgenerally rectangular in shape with a sloped or rounded edge along oneof its longitudinal sides and is ideally aligned with the adjacentrearward foot positioning marker 12. The wedge can be made of wood orsynthetic materials that are sufficiently strong to support a portion ofthe weight of a user, whether applied by flat soled shoes or golfspikes. To utilize the wedge 16, the user will stand with at least aportion of their rearward foot on top of wedge 16 such that the rearwardfoot is aligned with the foot positioning marker 12. More specifically,the user places the outside portion of their shoe sole on the wedge 16.

[0030] The prime objective of the wedge 16 is to aid in training thegolfer to maintain a near-stationary right leg during the entirebackswing to enhance control over the user's “sway” in the rearwarddirection of swing. Additionally, maintaining a stationary right legduring the backswing generates great pressure in the right leg. When thebackswing is completed, the leg pressure is relaxed and an automaticspring-back of the right leg and hips occurs at the start of thedownswing. This spring-back effect helps the lower body move forwardahead of the upper body, which invariably forces the golfer to adapt theproper form in swinging a golf club. To allow for removable attachmentof the wedge 16 to the top surface 17 of the support mat 11, a hookcomponent 28 of a hook and loop fastener system can be affixed to thebottom surface 29 of the wedge 16, as represented in FIG. 3 forattachment of the hook component 28 to the bottom surface 30 of themirror 14, such a bottom surface 30 preferably being non-reflective. Thehook component 28 can be of any shape to sufficiently secure the wedge16 to the mat 11.

[0031] The club positioning marker 13 is generally rectangular in shapeand sufficiently sized as to allow the golf instructor to designate theproper position, angle, and alignment of the golf club shaft held by theuser to setup the proper swinging of the club. This also ensures thatthe golfer's hands are correctly positioned in relationship to theirbody. A golf ball 32 can also be located off the mat at a position as todesignate the proper location of the golf club head before swinging theclub. The golf ball 32 can also have the hook component 28 of a hook andloop system attached to a portion of the surface of the ball such thatthe ball can be attached to the mat 11 when transporting the mat, asshown in FIG. 4. As with the foot positioning marker 12, the marker 13is positioned by a golf instructor on the mat 11 according to certainindividual characteristics of the user. The mirror 14 is designed toallow the user to view their eyes during the setup and the swing untilafter impact with the ball. To accomplish this goal, the mirror 14 issized and configured to be sufficiently small such that when it isplaced on the top surface 17 of the mat 11, the user is essentially onlyable view their eyes. The mirror 14 is preferably rectangular in shape,but can be of any shape as to focus the user's line-of-sight on theireyes in the reflected image, such as round, oblong, or square. Also, themirror 14 is preferably made of acrylic, but can be formed from anymaterial known to provide a reflective surface. After the instructorsets the positions of the foot positioning markers 12, and the userassumes the proper setup stance on the mat 11, the location of themirror 14 is set such that the user can view their eyes in the mirror.FIG. 3 shows one embodiment of the hook component 28 of a hook and loopfastener system affixed to the bottom surface 30 of the mirror 14 toallow for removable attachment of the mirror to the top surface 17 ofthe support mat 11. During the backswing and forward swing up untilafter impact, or simulated impact, the user can look into the mirror 14and notice whether there is excessive movement of their eyes. Becausethe mirror 14 is sufficiently small as to isolate the eyes, the user hasa simple reference point for observing excessive lateral or verticalmotion during practice swings: if the user is unable to observe theireyes in the mirror 14 at any point until after the club head passes theposition it would to hit a ball, because the eyes have move out of theline-of-sight of the mirror reflection, then there is excessive movementthat can be addressed. Depending on the size, ability and flexibility ofthe user, the mirror 14 may be positioned on the surface 17 of the mat11 such that it is either closer to, or farther from, the footpositioning markers 12 as is the club positioning marker 13. Also, aswith the other markers 12 and 13, the position of the mirror 14 can bechanged by a golf instructor as the user's skill and/or flexibilityincreases with practice. Additionally, mirror positioning markers can beused to designate the proper position for the mirror 14 on the mat 11.Preferably, the mirror positioning markers comprises two rounded hookcomponent dots that are removably attached to the mat at positions as todesignate placement of the mirror 14 on the mat 11 between the dots.

[0032] After the user has practiced their golf club swing with the golfinstructional device 10 in a setting where a golf instructor hascorrectly positioned the components of the device, the user can take thedevice 10 to another location, such as at home, and in conjunction withthe lessons detailed in an instructional manual (not shown), practicetheir swing technique outside of a formal instructional setting. Theinstruction manual typically takes the form of a paper notebook, butcould be in any form that manuals are currently kept, or will be in thefuture, such as on a CD-ROM or any other media storage form, such thatthe teachings of the manual can be accessed by the golfer from anylocation and with any device, such as a computer, personal digitalassistant, or similar electronic device. Because the position of themarkers 12, 13 and 15, the mirror 14, and the wedge 16 on the mat 11 hasbeen set by the instructor, and the lessons learned in the instructionalsetting are reiterated in the instructional manual, the user can repeattheir golf swing in proper form according to the instructor's teachingsand develop good habits. Over a period of time, or upon advancements intechnique or flexibility observed by a golf instructor, the instructorcan change the position and angle of the components of the presentinvention to further develop the proper form of the user's golf swing.This method of instruction provides a great advantage over the prior artbecause the device can be arranged such that the user is required to“muscle memorize” one component of a proper club swing technique at atime, leaving no room for developing bad swing habits along with desiredhabits.

[0033] As mentioned above, the instructional device 10 can be used inconjunction with the instructional manual to give the user furtherguidance in reinforcing a specific swing or “muscle memory” techniqueoutside of the instructional setting. The manual is divided intosections to correspond with specific techniques taught during eachinstructional lesson. Ideally, the student learns and practices thecontents of one lesson at a time in an instructional setting with a golfinstructor, and the device 10, before the student uses the device 10 andinstructional manual to practice alone at-home or other setting withoutthe instructor. In this way, each individual section of the manual isnot read by the user until the golf instructor directs them to do so.This ensures that the user begins to “feel” the proper swing techniquewhen developing their swing by using the device 10 and instructionalmanual in conjunction with one another.

[0034] The combination of using the instructional manual with theinstructional device 10 provides guidance to golf instructors on whatand how to teach proper golf club swinging techniques. It is widelyknown in the golf industry that the teaching a correct “feel” of how toswing a golf club is very difficult and that neither demonstrations norwords can directly accomplish this goal. Providing an instructionaldevice 10 with a set of instructions for repeating club swing techniqueslearned in a golf lesson facilitates the user's ability to achieve sucha “feel” in their golf game.

[0035] Thus, the device 10 and instructional manual work together asfollows. First, the instructor uses the mat to indicate thecustomized-correct pre-swing body and club positions for the student.Second, the instructor teaches the correct swing to the student in aseries of lessons. These lessons include teaching the student how, andthe importance of, being able to see his/her eyes in the mirrorcontinuously until after the ball has been struck. Because initially thesetup position and swinging of a club as taught with the presentinvention feel somewhat uncomfortable and instinctively wrong to thegolfer, the user must practice the setup and swing daily untileverything fells comfortable and instinctively right. Most golf studentsare unsuccessful at developing correct setup, swing and stretchinghabits because (a) they forget the many important details taught by thegolf instructor, and therefore practice incorrectly and develop badmuscle-memory, and (b) they can't practice enough because of thedifficulty of getting to a golf practice range. The combination of thedevice 10 and instructional manual make it possible for golfers topractice often enough and in correct form as to develop goodmuscle-memory. This is because, as the manual explains and instructs,the user can practice indoors in slow motion, without a ball. Themarkers on the mat ensure that the user's setup is correct. The mirror14 ensures that the student learns to swing in balance, and the headdoesn't move excessively until after impact. Because the manualdescribes and illustrates what the instructor taught during each lesson,the student remembers what was taught and is ensured of practicingcorrectly and developing correct muscle-memory.

[0036] From the forgoing information, it should now be obvious that thegolf instructional device 10, especially when used in conjunction withthe associated instructional manual, provides a training device that canbe customized to meet the individual needs of a particular golfer andcan more accurately monitor the required fundamentals of a good golfswing. The device or mat 10 is adjusted by a golf instructor to enable agolfer to improve their skills both during formal instruction and duringpractice sessions where the student is alone, and at any locationdesired. It is to be understood that the present invention can use otherattachment means in addition to those disclosed herein for removablyattaching the components of the invention to the support mat 11, asfuture technologies may be developed to provide a similar function.Furthermore, while certain forms of the present invention have beenillustrated and described herein, it is not to be limited to thespecific forms or arrangement of parts described and shown.

I claim:
 1. A golf instructional device for configured for customizationfor an individual user, and for monitoring the location of a user's eyeswhile swinging a club, comprising: a mat having a support surface; oneor more foot positioning markers removably attached to the mat surfaceto indicate proper placement of at least one foot of a user; a clubpositioning marker removably attached to the mat surface to indicateproper pre-swing body and club setup alignment; and a mirror removablyattached to the mat surface to indicate proper positioning of a user'seyes; whereby the foot positioning marker, the club positioning markerand the mirror cooperatively provide the user with a properly designatedsetup position for swinging a golf club.
 2. The instructional device ofclaim 1, wherein the mirror is sized and configured to be of arelatively small size such that when the mirror is placed on the mat,the user is allowed to essentially only view their eyes.
 3. Theinstructional device of claim 1, whereby removable attachment of the oneor more foot positioning markers, the club positioning marker, and themirror is accomplished by affixing a hook component of a hook and loopsystem to a surface of each and having the mat surface configured toserve as the corresponding loop component to allow for adjusting thelocations of the one or more foot positioning markers, the clubpositioning marker and the mirror on the mat surface.
 4. Theinstructional device of claim 1, further comprising a wedge removablyattached to the mat surface for placement under at least a portion ofone foot of a user to aid in training the user to maintain anear-stationary back leg during the entire backswing.
 5. Theinstructional device of claim 1, further comprising a centering markerlocated on the mat for designating a reference position about which auser will position their body nearly parallel to a line running from theball to a target to guide the user in swinging a golf club in the properfashion.
 6. The instructional device of claim 1, further comprising agolf ball to designate the proper setup position of a golf club headheld by the user, the golf ball being properly located off of the mat.7. The instructional device of claim 1, wherein the support mat has afirst end and a second end and further comprises a closure mechanism forcoupling the first end to the second end to secure the mat in a foldedarrangement.
 8. The instructional device of claim 1, wherein the supportmat has a first end having a hole and a second end, and furthercomprising a toggle mechanism connected to the second end of the matwhereby the mat can be secured in a folded position by insertion of thetoggle into the hole of the first end.
 9. The instructional device ofclaim 1, wherein the placement and attachment of the one or more footpositioning markers, the club positioning marker and the mirror on thesupport mat to designate proper setup positioning for swinging a golfclub is conducted only by a golf instructor and not by the individualuser of the mat.
 10. A golf instructional kit designed to improve auser's golf club swing technique by designating proper setup positioningfor swinging a club based on the user's individual needs, the kitcomprising: a mat having a support surface; one or more foot positioningmarkers removably attached to the mat surface to indicate properplacement of at least one foot of a user; a club positioning markerremovably attached to the mat surface to indicate proper pre-swing bodyand club setup alignment; and a mirror removably attached to the matsurface to indicate proper positioning of a user's head, the mirrorbeing of a relatively small size such that when the mirror is placed onthe mat, the user is allowed to essentially only view their eyes whilepracticing the swinging of a golf club; an instructional manualcontaining teaching methods corresponding to specific lessons taught bya golf instructor, such teachings arranged within the manual in a manneras to facilitate the user reinforcing specific club swing setuppositioning and proper club swing techniques learned with the mat,associated markers and mirror outside the presence of the golfinstructor.
 11. A method of using a golf instructional device, saidmethod comprising the steps of: placing one or more foot positioningmembers onto a support mat surface to indicate proper placement of oneor more feet of a user for swinging a golf club; placing a clubpositioning member onto the support mat surface to indicate properpre-swing body and club setup alignment; placing a mirror onto thesupport mat surface to indicate proper positioning of a user's eyes; andhaving a user stand on the support mat surface and align one or morefeet with the one or more foot positioning members, position the user'shead such that the user can essentially only view their eyes in themirror, and swing a golf club while the user visually observes anymovement of their head in the mirror during at least a portion of thegolf club practice swing.
 12. The method of claim 11, further comprisingthe step of: adjusting the position of the one or more foot positioningmembers, club positioning member, or mirror on the support mat surfacebased on either a specific instructional lesson to be taught by a golfinstructor, or on changes and/or improvements in the golf club swing ofa user, such adjusting performed only by a golf instructor and not bythe individual using the mat.
 13. The method of claim 11, furthercomprising the step of: providing the user with an instructional manualcontaining teaching methods corresponding to specific lessons taught bya golf instructor, such teachings arranged within the manual in a manneras to facilitate the user reinforcing specific pre-swing setuppositioning and club swing techniques learned with the instructionaldevice outside the presence of the golf instructor.
 14. A method ofproviding golf instruction, said method comprising the steps of:providing a user with an instructional device having markers fordesignating proper setup positioning and stance for the user to swing agolf club, the positioning being customized and markers being adjustablefor an individual user; and having a golf instructor position themarkers on the device in such locations as to teach the user a propersetup position for swinging a golf club.
 15. The method of claim 14,further comprising the steps of: providing a mirror with theinstructional device for monitoring the location of a user's eyes whilemaking practice swings with the golf club; having a golf instructorposition the mirror on the device in such a location as to teach theuser to maintain a near-steady head while making practice swings withthe golf club.
 16. The method of claim 14, further comprising the stepof: providing the user with an instructional manual containing teachingmethods corresponding to specific lessons taught by the golf instructor,such teachings arranged within the manual such that the user canreinforce a specific club swing technique learned with the instructionaldevice outside the presence of the golf instructor.